Patient Resources

Mediterranen Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is a collection of foods and dishes that come from various cultures adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. This diet has been featured in several research studies and has been shown to have positive benefits for patients suffering from common diseases such as Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart disease, Dementia and other disorders such as, Fatigue, Chronic Pain Syndromes, etc. The bulk of the diet comes from plant sources and incorporates fresh food, rather than frozen, canned, or preserved foods. The Mediterranean Diet celebrates a wide variety of colorful and delicious foods. I am excited to recommend this versatile and non-fad diet as a way of promoting long-term health.

  1. Fruits & Vegetables:: should be fresh, colorful, and organic when possible. Additional foods include mushrooms, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds and fragrant herbs & spices. Vegetables may be eaten lightly steamed, oven roasted or pan sautéed in olive oil.
  2. Whole Grains:: should be consumed as pasta, polenta, risotto, potatoes with skin, and rice (brown rice). These foods contain a large amount of natural fiber.
  3. Fish:: and shell fish can be consumed daily. It is preferable to find fish rich in Omega-3’s such as sardines, herring, cod, halibut, wild pacific salmon, wild key west Argentinean or Alaskan shell fish. Please avoid farm raised fish of any kind. While they may have low amounts of mercury, they are loaded with PCB’s and Dioxin. These fish are force fed grain-corn pellets instead of eating native worms, insects and other fish. Further, farm raised salmon does not offer you the same high levels of omega 3 fatty acids as their wild counterparts.
  4. Dairy:: is not to be consumed as a beverage, but as small amounts of cheese and yogurt.
  5. Oils:: liberal use of Olive oil is recommended as the principal cooking oil. Small amounts of canola, grape seed oil and rice bran oil can be used for cooking and general consumption. Butter should be limited to 1 tsp per day.
  6. Meat:: red meat is seldom consumed in the Mediterranean Diet. Poultry should be eaten in small amounts, a maximum of 3-4 ounces per week (preferably organic).
  7. Beverages:: liberal use of fresh, filtered water (reverse osmosis or carbon filters), green and herbal teas. A morning cup of organic black tea or coffee is acceptable.
  8. Alcohol:: in the form of red wine only, if you consume alcohol, do not exceed 2 glasses a day sipped over a 3- hour period.
  9. Sweeteners:: are to be used in small doses: honey, no more than 2 tsp of raw cane sugar, fresh fruit and their juice to make compotes for pancakes or waffles.
  10. Avoid:: artificial food additives and coloring agents.
Eating Style: Relax and enjoy your meal without TV, loud music. This allows for shut down of the fear, flight mode and puts you into the relaxed mode that facilitates the release of acid, digestive enzymes and proper bowel transit time. Eat breakfast and lunch (your biggest meal) before 3 pm and a light supper before 7pm. It is okay to graze through the day on healthy snacks described above. Nuts are good at controlling Ghrelin, the hormone that is associated with hunger pangs. Drink less than 4 oz. of water with your meal to prevent dilution of digestive enzymes.

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